Forty years later.......... OK damnit, fitty years later. Rinse, repeat. Kinda. too much dadgum coffee (Victor, did you take your BP meds?)... too many cigarettes (s'more bad breath) and... NO girlfriend, breathments (pew), damnit darnit.
Today, for a few hours, I looked at 'Oscar'. WHO? No, not WHO, the Beatles. Huh? More later.
Charles Oscar Finley. Born in 1918 in Alabama... when Charlie was 15 his family moved to Gary, Indiana where he was active in sports. He then worked in steel mills for 6 years... next up, life insurance salesman whilst still a first-basemen, playing manager for a semipro team. Then, BOOM........
Tuberculosis set in. Two and one-half years in the hospital. There, he hatched a plan to sell disability insurance to Doctors... the idea struck gold - he became a millionaire inside of 40 years of age.
Where to turn now.......... Baseball Ray, er, Oscar, I mean Charlie. He tried like hell to buy the Philadelpia A's (and other teams), nope. Finally, once the A's moved to Kansas City, their owner passed, and in 1960 he paid the owner's widow $1.975 million for 52% of the team, now principle owner and chairman of the board.
Finley was not only owner, but, GM. He had an eye for talent. Well... at least later. The KC A's sucked, yet Finley swore "I'll never move the A's out of Kansas City." Try as he might to keep fans interested in an awful team - he did stuff like dressing them in bright green and gold uniforms... changed the mascot from an Elephant to "Charlie O", a mule named in his honor. Charlie O would be paraded around the outfield, brought into cocktail parties, hotel lobbies, and and into the press room after a large feeding to annoy reporters.
Goats grazed in a pasture-like area just beyond the outfield fence. He got ridda the bat boy bringing out more baseballs for the umpire - instead, buried an electrical rabbit close to home plate the would pop up when the ump deemed he needed more baseballs. Had star player Campy Campaneris play ALL 9 positions in a game.. Brought out 59 year old Satchel Paige to pitch a few innings in a real game, complete with rocking chair in the dugout.
The Pennant Porch. Finley hated the fact the right field fence at Yankee Stadium was so close, SO, he built a Pennant Porch, the exact same dimension from home plate in KC. Commish said "Nope, grandfather clause, can't do that to existing stadiums." SO, Charlie had the fence moved back, BUT, had groundskeepers paint a white line in the outfield, exactly where the 'Yankee fence' would be, instructed his announcers to say "That would have been a home run in NY." BUT, once an announcer did that when a visiting team hit one there - he fired the announcer.
Since the A's stunk, so did attendance. Mr. "I'll never move the A's" signed a contract to move the team to Louisville, commish said "Nope", tried Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, "Nope." Once said “This damn place don’t deserve big league baseball. It’s a hick town.” Hmm.
The Beatles, 1965. Old enough to remember? Like Ed would say, "A REALLY BIG SHOW". Charlie tried to get 'em to KC. They had an off date in September. Epstien, Beatle's manager, "Nope". Howabout $75,000? Negotiation continued for months. $100,000? Nope. $125,000? Nope. Finally, the Beatles consented to play for a then unheard of amount of $150,000 ($1.415 Million in today's market for a 30 minute show.) Muehlebach Hotel, Kansas City, day of the show: "Can you play a couple extra songs?" John Lennon, "Nope." Please? "Nope". Giveya more money, "Nope, no amount you offer would do it Chuck." Charlie no likey being called Chuck. Lennon would relate later "I just didn't like the man."
Much to the delight of the mule, the man AND Kansas Citians, the Beatles DID open with McCartney wailing "Ah, Kansas City, Gonna get my baby back home, yeah-yeah,, I'm going to Kansas City, Gonna get my baby back home, yeah-yeah." It would then come out on their next album.
Finally, "I'll never leave KC" moved the team to Oakland for the 1968 season. I was 16, please don't tell, I think I cried. It was an interesting time. Finley's eye for talent was beginning to payoff. From the minors, Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, Bert Campaneris, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue - to name a few.
Ya couldn't have facial hair, long hair, etc until 1972. And oh boy did they (The A's). If I gots the story straight, Reggie was the first to have a mustache. Presumed "look at me" by the other players, in 'protest' they started wearing them too, figuring Charlie would issue an ultimatum "Nope, shave 'em." Backfired. Finley liked 'em, offered a $300 bonus to anyone who would wear one. That wasn't chump change then, the average rent was $165, so, yep, they all grew 'em.
Charlie did have his limits on hair though. When Joe Pepitone of the White Sox came to bat with long, streaming locks, he instructed his announcer to introduce him as Josephine Pepitone, "nope", thus, bye bye announcer.
This is getting toooooo long, I'll try to speed up. THREE World Series championships between 72 and 75... Free agency set in. Finley goofed on Catfish's contract, then, he scooted to NY. Worried he'd get NUTTIN outta players leaving for free agency, Finley then tried to sell Blue, Fngers and Rudi.. Commish said "Nope." Charlie then called Commish Bowie Kuhn "The Village Idiot". Hmm.
Finley did start selling off players.. as attendance dropped to new lows. The players actually begged MLB to take over the team. The City of Oakland wouldn't let 'em (The A's) outta their contract.. the owner of the San Fran Giants offered to chip in money if they'd let 'em leave... Finally, in 1980, Finley sold the team to the family that owned some company named Levi-Strauss.
What a life. What a teeter totter. Innovator. Pisser offer. He was (mainly) responsible for the Designated Hitter.. Designated Runner.. Night Playoff Baseball, Ball Girls, Interleague play.
Many disliked him, but there certainly was good. After the Beatles performed, he gave $25,000 of the profits to Children's Mercy Hospital in KC. He tipped a waitress $100 waaaaay back in the day in Chicago (but too, told her to "use it to fix your teeth.)
I've told this before. My mom didn't give up on people. Annually, the A's would play a preseason game against the St. Louis Cardinals. It drew very well. She and I rode the bus to the game. After it ended (we were pretty high up in the upper deck) instead of walking down to the exit, she walked up the stairs. Of course I followed. We get up, almost to the top - there sat Charles Oscar Finley. "We just wanted to thank you for this game Mr. Finley." Truthfully, he looked shocked that anyone would say anything kind to him, not that maybe it mattered. "Thank you and you're welcome ma'am."
If nuttin' else, thanks for the memories Mr. Finley. YEP.
Love, Victurd
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